REG - Fusion Antibodies - OptiMAL® R&D Update

Fusion AntibodiesAnnouncement

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RNS Number : 7807F  Fusion Antibodies PLC  03 November 2025

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to
constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse (amendment)
(EU Exit) Regulations 2019/310 ("MAR"). With the publication of this
announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is
now considered to be in the public domain.

 

Fusion Antibodies plc

("Fusion" or the "Company")

 

OptiMAL(®) R&D Update

 

Validation of OptiMAL® for the isolation of specific antibodies against
proteins and peptides

On track for the commercial launch of OptiMAL® in December 2025

 

Fusion Antibodies plc (AIM: FAB), specialists in pre-clinical antibody
discovery, engineering and supply for both therapeutic drug and diagnostic
applications, provides an update to the OptiMAL® project being performed
under the collaboration agreement (the "Agreement") with the National Cancer
Institute ("NCI"), details of which were originally announced on 28 November
2023
(https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/FAB/optimal-collaboration-agreement/16226748)
.

 

Having already demonstrated superior single digit nM affinities for antibodies
against protein targets, as detailed in the announcement on 17 September 2025
(https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/FAB/optimal-r-d-update/17234323)
, the Company can report that OptiMAL® has been now shown to be similarly
successful with smaller peptide targets.

 

Peptides are often used as antigens as they can be designed to represent
specific epitopes (regions of the protein) for the antibodies generated. They
are also easier and more cost effective to synthesize. However, they are less
immunogenic which can result in poorer antibodies. This is not the case with
OptiMAL® as no immune response is required.

 

This evidence will better enable Fusion to propose the use of OptiMAL® for a
wider range of targets, thereby broadening the accessible market and
increasing revenue potential. The next steps are to test the antibodies in
cell-based assays at the NCI, to evaluate their potential to become
therapeutic drug candidates.

 

This latest finding provides further validation of OptiMAL® as a platform for
the isolation of specific antibodies against proteins and peptides and places
the Company on track for the commercial launch of OptiMAL® at the Antibody
Engineering and Therapeutics conference in December 2025. Work continues
within Fusion to further optimise and expand the OptiMAL® platform.

 

NCI, part of the US National Institutes of Health, is the US federal
government's principal agency for cancer research and training. Pursuant to
the Agreement, Fusion has provided NCI with access to OptiMAL® for use in the
discovery of novel antibodies against targets selected by NCI. This Agreement
is due to continue until November 2025, however, the NCI has asked to extend
its use of the OptiMAL® platform for use against further targets in the
coming years. Negotiations are underway to establish mutually agreeable terms
for an extended agreement.

 

Dr. Adrian Kinkaid, CEO of Fusion Antibodies plc, commented: "We are again
delighted with the performance of the OptiMAL® platform providing very high
affinity antibodies against peptides, a prevalent but challenging target
class. The latest developments provide us with a more solid foundation with
which to address a wider market and positions OptiMAL® as the potential front
line discovery platform of choice for human therapeutic antibody discovery."

 

Enquiries:

 

 Fusion Antibodies plc                                                          www.fusionantibodies.com
 Adrian Kinkaid, Chief Executive Officer                             Via Walbrook PR

 Stephen Smyth, Chief Financial Officer

 Allenby Capital Limited                                             Tel: +44 (0) 20 3328 5656
 James Reeve/Vivek Bhardwaj (Corporate Finance)

 Tony Quirke/Joscelin Pinnington (Sales and Corporate Broking)

 Shard Capital Partners LLP
 Damon Heath (Joint Broker)                                          Tel: +44 (0) 207 186 9952

 Walbrook PR                       Tel: +44 (0)20 7933 8780 or fusion@walbrookpr.com
 Anna Dunphy                                                                     Mob: +44 (0)7876 741 001

 

 

About Fusion Antibodies plc

 

Fusion is a Belfast based contract research organisation ("CRO") providing a
range of antibody engineering services for the development of antibodies for
both therapeutic drug and diagnostic applications.

 

The Company's ordinary shares were admitted to trading on AIM on 18 December
2017. Fusion provides a broad range of services in antibody generation,
development, production, characterisation and optimisation. These services
include antigen expression, antibody production, purification and sequencing,
antibody humanisation using Fusion's proprietary CDRx (TM) platform and the
production of antibody generating stable cell lines to provide material for
use in clinical trials. Since 2012, the Company has successfully sequenced
and expressed over 250 antibodies and successfully completed over 200
humanisation projects and has an international, blue-chip client base, which
has included eight of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies by revenue.

 

The Company was established in 2001 as a spin out from Queen's University
Belfast. The Company's mission is to enable pharmaceutical and diagnostic
companies to develop innovative products in a timely and cost-effective manner
for the benefit of the global healthcare industry. Fusion Antibodies provides
a broad range of services in antibody generation, development, production,
characterisation and optimisation.

 

Fusion Antibodies growth strategy is based on combining the latest
technological advances with cutting edge science to deliver new platforms that
will enable Pharma and Biotech companies get to the clinic faster, with the
optimal drug candidate and ultimately speed up the drug development process.

 

 

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